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An Act To Collect Data Regarding How Payment Is Made for Collection of Signatures for Direct Initiatives and People's Veto Referendums
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §903-A, sub-§§4 and 5  are enacted to read:
 
4.  Circulator affidavit.     A person who circulates a petition shall execute an affidavit that must include:
 
A.  The circulator's printed name, the physical address at which the circulator resides and the date the circulator signed the affidavit;
 
B.  That the circulator read the information provided by the Secretary of State pursuant to subsection 3 and understands the laws governing the circulation of petitions in the State;
 
C.  That the circulator was a resident of the State and a registered voter in the State at the time of circulating the petition; and
 
D.  That the circulator understands that the circulator can be prosecuted under section 904 for violating the laws governing the circulation of petitions, including the requirement that the circulator truthfully executed the affidavit.
 
The circulator shall file the affidavit with the Secretary of State at the time the petition is filed.
 
5.  Circulator payment.     A person or organization that pays individuals to circulate petitions, other than by reimbursing travel expenses, shall provide a list of those individuals to the Secretary of State along with information indicating the method by which the individuals are being compensated when the petitions are filed pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 17 or 18.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §903-C, sub-§1, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 99, §2, is amended to read:
 
D. A list containing the names of all individuals hired by the petition organization to assist in circulating petitions or in organizing, supervising or managing the circulation. The list must include a statement indicating the method by which the individuals hired to assist in circulating petitions are being compensated. The list must be updated and resubmitted to the Secretary of State when the petitions are filed pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 17 or 18.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §904, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2007, c. 455, §53, is amended to read:
 
4. Duplicate signature.   Knowingly signs the person's name more than once on initiative or referendum petitions for the same measure; or
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §904, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 455, §53, is amended to read:
 
5. False swearing; signature made in circulator's presence.   Circulates an initiative or referendum petition and willfully swears that a signature to the petition was made in the circulator's presence when it was not.; or
Sec. 5.  21-A MRSA §904, sub-§6  is enacted to read:
 
6.  Failure to truthfully execute and file circulator affidavit.     Knowingly fails to truthfully execute and timely file a circulator affidavit under section 903-A, subsection 4.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.